Machiavelli, Volume I eBook

throwen towardes the Citee, and kepte up of a walle,
that muste be raised from the bottome of the diche,
and goe so high over the toune, that a man maie bee
covered behinde thesame, the whiche thing shal make
the depth of the diche the greater. In the bottome
of the diche, within every hundred and l. yardes,
there would be a slaughter house, which with the ordinaunce,
maie hurte whom so ever should goe doune into thesame:
the greate artillerie that defende the citee, are
planted behinde the walle, that shutteth the diche,
bicause for to defende the utter walle, being high,
there cannot bee occupied commodiously, other then
smalle or meane peeses. If the enemie come to
scale, the heigth of the firste walle moste easely
defendeth thee: if he come with ordinaunce, it
is convenient for hym to batter the utter walle:
but it beyng battered, for that the nature of the batterie
is, to make the walle to fall, towardes the parte
battered, the ruine of the walle commeth, finding
no diche that receiveth and hideth it, to redouble
the profunditie of thesame diche: after soche
sorte, that to passe any further, it is not possible,
findyng a ruine that with holdeth thee, a diche that
letteth thee, and the enemies ordinaunce, that from
the walle of the diche, moste safely killeth thee.
Onely there is this remedie, to fill the diche:
the whiche is moste difficulte to dooe, as well bicause
the capacitie thereof is greate, as also for the difficultie,
that is in commyng nere it, the walle beeyng strong
and concaved, betwene the whiche, by the reasons aforesaied,
with difficultie maie be entered, havyng after to
goe up a breache through a ruin, whiche giveth thee
moste greate difficultie, so that I suppose a citee
thus builded, to be altogether invinsible.

BAPTISTE. When there should bee made besides the diche
within, a diche also without, should it not bee stronger?

FABRICIO. It should be without doubt, but mindyng
to make one diche onely, myne opinion is, that it
standeth better within then without.

BAPTISTE. Would you, that water should bee in the
diches, or would you have them drie?

[Sidenote: A drie diche is moste sureste.]

FABRICIO. The opinion of men herein bee divers,
bicause the diches full of water, saveth thee from
mines under grounde, the Diches without water, maketh
more difficulte the fillyng of them: but I havyng
considered all, would make them without water, for
that thei bee more sure: For diches with water,
have been seen in the Winter to bee frosen, and to
make easie the winnyng of a citee, as it happened to
Mirandola, when Pope Julie besieged it: and for
to save me from mines, I would make it so deepe, that
he that would digge lower, should finde water.

[Sidenote: An advertisemente for the buildyng
and defending of a Toune or Fortresse; Small fortresses
cannot bee defended; A toune of war or Fortresse,
ought not to have in them any retiring places; Cesar
Borgia; The causes of the losse of the Fortresse of
Furlie, that was thought invincible; Howe the houses
that are in a toune of war or Fortresse ought to be
builded.]